Five Health Benefits of Owning a Dog

Puppy Dog

One of the best reasons to own a dog is that it is simply a lot of fun! A dog can keep your children occupied while teaching them responsibility, a pooch can give you someone to snuggle with on the couch, and a pet can help you meet new people.

It turns out owning a dog isn’t just a lot of fun. Owning a dog can be good for your health too!

Increased Sense of Purpose

Feeling like you have a sense of purpose in life is extremely important to your health. Having a sense of purpose has the potential to guard you against heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and some studies have shown that it can help you handle pain better.

Some of us are lucky enough to get purpose from a fulfilling job, a hobby, or children, but for those who live alone or don’t have a dream career, feeling that sense of purpose can be hard to come by. If you have a pet, your sense of purpose increases.

Whether you’re feeding a senior dog CBD treats for pets to help with pain, you have to make sure your dog gets outside for a walk every day, or you have to stop by the grocery store to pick up some dog food, having a furry friend can make you feel like there’s an important reason for you to live.

Boost Your Mental Health

Mental health is important to your physical health. Unfortunately for most of us in the 21st Century, good mental health can be hard to come by. Owning a dog can help with that!

First, dogs can help you cut down on stress. Just having one around when you’re feeling pressure at work or from family can make you feel much calmer than if you didn’t have a dog.

If you suffer from depression or frequent sadness, a dog can make you feel better. For most people, being alone is a trigger for loneliness, and a dog can make you feel less lonely.

You don’t have to live alone to feel lonely either! If you spend a lot of time by yourself because loved ones are away, a dog could make you feel better.

More Exercise

Finding time to exercise can be difficult. Between work and family obligations, many people make it to the end of the day with little to no energy to even fathom hitting the gym.

A dog can make sure you get the exercise you need. You won’t be lifting weights with your dog, but because it’s best for your dog to go outside every day, you’ll have to make time in your schedule to take him for a walk. A quick tip, if you are planning to do this regularly, is to get a high-quality dog leash that won’t rip off surprisingly and that is comfortable for your buddy at the same time, you can find these leashes easily online on sites like Neewa.

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are other things you can do with your dog too! Try doggy yoga, go swimming with your pooch, or play tennis. You can hit the ball and let your dog chase after them!

Aid With Disease and Injury

Some dogs can actually detect, treat, and help you manage a variety of illnesses and injuries when trained properly, which can have a direct effect on your health. For example:

  • Dogs can be trained to detect skin, kidney, bladder, prostate, and other cancers.
  • Service dogs can help owners with a variety of mental and physical illnesses.
  • Dogs can reduce emotional flare-ups and aggression from Alzheimer’s patients.
  • Dogs can be trained to get help if you fall or experience an accident.

The key is to get a dog that’s right for you and your particular condition, as a dog that helps in this kind of capacity will have to be properly trained.

Live a Longer Life

One of the most convincing reasons to own a dog is the fact that having a furry friend can help you live a longer life.

Researchers aren’t quite sure why this is the case, but they do have a few guesses. As mentioned earlier, having a dog encourages people to get more exercise, which can increase your lifespan. In addition, people who own a dog spend more time in nature, which is associated with health benefits. Of course, it could also be the companionship! No matter how a dog improves your life, you can expect to live longer with a dog than without one.

A lot of people get a dogA lot of people get protection dog sales for the fun of it, but that’s not the only reason to get a dog! From improved mental health to getting more exercise and living longer, it turns out there are plenty of health-related reasons to get a dog too!